second-guessing

verb

present participle of second-guess
1
as in outguessing

Related Words

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2
as in reasoning

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for second-guessing
  1. balking
  2. reasoning
  3. overreaching
  4. analyzing
  5. outmaneuvering
  6. reviewing
  7. outsmarting
  8. exploring
Verb
  • Even as Medicare has launched coverage of GLP-1's for older adults, some employers and insurers are balking at paying for these expensive medications.
    — Ken Alltucker, USA Today, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Many residents are balking at that timing and at Ryan’s lawsuit against Killingly’s wetlands board for rejecting the first version of the plan on July 6.
    — Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of balking
Verb
  • Every prompt, retrieval, reasoning step and autonomous agent action consumes tokens that translate directly into cost.
    — Daniel Fallmann, Forbes.com, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Other planning engines run scenarios sequentially, in cycles measured in hours, which is why their AI can only report on what has already been computed rather than reasoning live, KetteQ said.
    — Roy Stephen Canivel, Footwear News, 13 Aug. 2026
Definition of reasoning
Verb
  • While most judges have categorized such requests as overreaching or for an improper purpose, two out of three judges on the panel ruled that there was nothing out of line about the QueerDoc request.
    — Theresa Gaffney, STAT, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Republican lawmakers disagree, saying that the approval is just another example of an overreaching government.
    — Tom Wait, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of overreaching
Verb
  • The study, analyzing data from 2021-2024, challenges the perception of cannabis as a safe substance.
    — Omer Awan, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Always unassuming, sitting in the back of the room — but often the smartest person in the room — Saftler became known as the guy who can predict the future of television, constantly analyzing industry trends to figure out what would come next.
    — Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of analyzing
Verb
  • The characters' abilities are built around outmaneuvering, not outgunning.
    — Brian Mazique, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2026
  • May built one of the most dominant teams in Big Ten history by outmaneuvering his peers in the transfer portal.
    — Austin Meek, New York Times, 30 June 2026
Definition of outmaneuvering
Verb
  • As of Thursday afternoon, McGrane was still reviewing the judge’s order and was not yet ready to comment, said Joe Parris, a spokesperson for McGrane.
    — Sarah Cutler, Idaho Statesman, 21 Aug. 2026
  • After reviewing enough job posts that listed the position as remote only to find out the company requires employees to work in office, Petersen doesn’t trust job descriptions anymore.
    — Rachel Barber, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
Definition of reviewing
Verb
  • The problem, according to Hinton, is that humans will no longer be able to rely on outsmarting super-intelligent AI models.
    — Matt Egan, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
  • The Fan, the season-long unsub obsessed with one-upping and outsmarting his idol.
    — Joyce Eng, Entertainment Weekly, 23 July 2026
Definition of outsmarting
Verb
  • Ideal for exploring our own solar system, the Celestron PowerSeeker 80EQ comes with 20mm and 4mm eyepieces, a 3x Barlow lens, a German equatorial mount, finderscope and Starry Night astronomy software.
    — Chris McMullen, Space.com, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Consequently, more organizations are exploring a similar strategy by incorporating AI tools alongside traditional staffing.
    — Lyssanoel Frater, USA Today, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of exploring
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Browse Nearby Words

second-guesses
second-guessing
secondhand
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Cite this Entry

“Second-guessing.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/second-guessing. Accessed 26 Aug. 2026.

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